Three-quarters of young men and women struggle with bad sex lives, according to a University of New Brunswick survey of Canadian people ages 16 to 21.

“We have this image that partnered sexual life for young people . . . is fun, pleasurable and really hedonistic,” the survey’s coordinator, UNB psychology professor Lucia O’Sullivan, tells Canadian Press wire service.

But researchers found that many of the 400 people surveyed were anything but the young, wild and free sexual beings portrayed on “Degrassi.”

Men complained about low sexual satisfaction, low desire and problems in erectile function, while women reported an inability to reach orgasm, low satisfaction and pain during sex, according to an essay written by O’Sullivan.

Of course, many of those problems can stem from inexperience. But some of the bigger issues, like disinterest, low arousal and poor satisfaction, are more concerning, and could lead to more serious sexual and relationship problems, O’Sullivan says.

She believes that better sex education would help — and that polite and mild Canadian youth need to learn how to make sex fun.

“Nobody took on the task of saying, ‘Sex should be fun, enjoyable and a way to connect. Let’s talk about how it all works,’ ” O’Sullivan writes.